Pyrophoric lighter for handicapped persons



Aug. 4, 1953 l. FLORMAN PYROPHORIC LIGHTER FOR HANDICAPPED PERSONS FiledJan. 29, 1953 Patented Aug. 4, 1953 UNITED STATES. PAT NT/creme rmornomcLIGHTERFOR HANDICAPPED reasons v I Irving Florman, New 'York, N. Y.Application January 29, 1953, Serial N 0. 333,996

Claims. ('01. 67-171) to provide means ensuring easy operation of thelighter by handicapped persons and without endangering or burning thehands of such persons even if the same form stumps.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide meansconducive to a simple actuating mechanism devoid of any springs foroperate ing the flint wheel while the cover and base housing of thelighter are moved relatively to each other substantially with littleeffort and force.

. These and other objects will become apparent from the followingdetailed description, reference being. had to the accompanying drawingin which, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a lighter shown in closedposition, partly in section, made in accordance with the invention; I

Fig. ,2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 with the cover of thelighter in. open position and in half-open position as indicated indotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of thelighter of Fig. 1 partly in sectiontaken along lines. 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows schematically theoperation of the lighter by means of the stumps of the hands of ahandicapped person.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, thereis shown inFig. 1 alighter I0 of the portable and pyrophoric type. The lighter conslsts of"a base housing II anda cover I2 swin able with respect to the basehousing II about pivot I3. The movement of cover I2 with respect to basehousing I I is controlled by a known spring lever attachment I4, I5,whereby the lighter is kept in open or closed condition, selectively.[On top of the base housing II there are arranged U-shaped windprotector I6 having perforations I1 and a wick holder I8 surrounded by agasket I9 and containing the wick 20, as it is well known in the art.Within the cover I2 there is arranged a snuflie sleeve 2I which co-actswith the rubber gasket I9 in order to prevent loss of fuel when thelighter is not in use. Further affixed on the side wall face I2a ofcover I2, there is a fixed pivot 22 adapted to hingedly carry a slottedlever 23' for a purpose later to be described.

Lever 23 is sufliciently spaced from side wall I2a so that when thecover I2 is closed on base housing II this lever will'be received withinthe con fines of U-shaped wind protector I6. Pivot pin 22 will then belocated between the end of U- shaped wind protector I6 and a ratchet andflint wheel mechanism 25 hereinafter to be described.

On top of base housing I I, which contains wick 23 and flint 24supported by a spring 26 and the fuel tank 27, there is disposed ayoke-shaped holder 30 about to be described in greater detail.

Holder 30 consists of abase plate fixed to the top surface of basehousing II and two lugs 28 and 2 9 between which there are mounted ontrun-'- nions 3| and 33, pawl element and flint wheel 32 having thelateral ratchet teeth 38 which are engageable with a tooth 34 of saidpawl element. Between pawl element 35 and lever 23 there is arranged'ontrunnion 38 awasher 36 to afford pivotal connection of lever 23 relativeto pawl element 35.

-Pawl element 35 has an outwardly extending eccentric lug 31 which isconnected with lever 23, as more clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2. Pawlelement 35 has furthera stop 35a which, in its extreme position of,rotation, as seen in full lines in Fig. 2, abuts against a rest 39fixed to the top surface of base housing II.

The operation of this lighter will now be readily understood. The personhaving stumps or hands with completely missing fingers holds the basehousing I I in stump A, while the cover I2 is held in stump B, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

- When the two lighter parts II and I2 are then moved away from eachother by means of the stumps about'hinge I3, itwill-be observed that thelighter structure with the ratchet and flint Wheel mechanism 25 on theone hand, and the pivoted lever 23 with its oiTset slotted portion 23aengaged by pin 22 on the other hand, permits at first a short lostmotion so that base housing II may be readily wedged away from cover II, thus .providing for the handicapped person a leverage for further andeasy movement of the cover I2 relative to base housing II. During thismovement, as is well understood, curved lever end 40 Will ride along apreshaped contour of the head 29a of lug 29 to thereby orient and guidesaid lever 23 about trunnion 38.

When the cover I2 has reached a position as shown in dotted lines inFig. 2, fixed pivot pin 22 has reached almost the slotted offset portion23a of lever 23. When cover I2 is then further moved relative to baseII, pivot pin 22 enters the slot of the offset portion 23a of leverportion 23a whereby a snapping or kicking action is achieved duringwhich the opposite end 40 of lever 23 and lug 3! of pawl element 35 areso moved with respect to each other that pawl element 35 imparts asudden rotation to the flint wheel for sparking purposes whereby theflint wheel 32 will coact with flint 24 to bring about sparking inupward direction toward wick 20 as may be easily realizedlfi-om Fig. 2'.

It is to'benoted; that the coordination of movement of the eccentric 37of pawl element 35, of the movement of the slotted lever 23 withit'sofiset slotted portion 23a and, of. the, compound. movements ofpivot 38a which links lever 23? to: eccentric 3i and of pivot 22 whichperforms a dual pivoting action due to its longitudi'iial move mentalong slotted lever 23 (monemen-t-.-irom one end of the slot to theother end thereof and in opposed relation to the movement of the lever)and due to an oscillating motion relative theretopis so; chosen: that.the cover" describes. only a ratherclimit'ed; outward path: from theend? of its lost motion: (approximat'elyindicated by," dotted line.positiomto the: fully. open! position: of. the (lover;. at which: the:pawl element 35 comes to a stop? at: 35%; Gonsequently, when: pivot: pin22 engagemthe endoi slotted'lever part 26:: pawl element 35 abuts withi'tszprojection 351:- against stop 3&5 and effective:spark-ingoperationonly takes; place during: the? aforesaid" limitedfinal 'mitwarda path. or movement: of: cover it, which readily affords;operation: of" the lighter by handicapped: persons: as? well. as by'other:- per"- S0115.-

It? is to be:- understood? that. thee hollow: top coveir and; the.base"; housing? hereiir referred: to are dimensioned: and shapede that:they may be held" orwedged? for movement; by: the stumps of the" handsof? a'- person. in" orde'n'to'. more easily operate the lighter.

Although one specific. embodiment. of. the invention. has? beendescribed and shown-V in the drawing; itsl'iouldibe noted that? the.invention-array be'realized in modifiediformxand adapredone of thearrangements herein: disclosed may be' made; as'-:ma-y readily occun topersons skilled in the arti withouti constituting: a. departure from thesplrit-and scope:f" the inventiom as defined in the objects an'c'fiin't'he' appended olaimsa Having thus: described. the invention, what isclaimed asnewt and: desired to. be secured by Letters Patent, is: J

11- In: a pyroplior-ic po'cketz lighten: having a covenswiaga'bie upon.manually exerting. pressure thereon away; from: a basmhousingr whichcarries. a rotatable flint. wheelt; a:- pawl elementoperativelprotatable with said? flint? wheel and provided with an:eccentric portion, lever: means having? a slotted: portion and pivotallycon=- n'eoted: with said eccentric portion. of said: pawl elementpa:stop fo'r saidpawl element; and con"- nectedr to the".- latter; and: a.pivot. pin on said cover; saidtpivot pinibeing-mova'blezin said slottedpolrtiornands providing a: lost: motion: between said; cover: andsaidpawl element upon. an: mi

tial swinging movement of said cover relative to said housing, saidpivot pin being engageable with said slotted portion while pressure iscontinued for a final swinging movement of said cover in open positionthereof defined by said stop of said pawl element, to thereby impart tosaid flint wheel intensified rotational speed for sparking purposes.

In er -lighten according; to claim 1,, wherein said lever means and"said" eccentric pawl portion are connected by a pivot element, saidpivot element being substantially aligned with the venticaiplane passingthrough the axis of said fiint wheel, when said stop of said pawlelement defines said final cover swinging movement in said" position.

3 ..Inaw lighter according to claim 1, wherein said cover is providedwith a snuiier sleeve, said ease housing being provided with a windscreen for a wick, said snufier sleeve being embraced by said: wind.screen! in closed? position of said cover, onr said; base: housingz.

4. In a lighter according to: claim 3; wherein said: lever means; said-1pivot element and said pivo t: pin: ail-repositioned: intermediate? saidsnuffer :ieeve: and: said: fiin'tr wheel in; said closed pesi 5. Amanually; operated. pyroplio'rie: pocket lighten preferably: for: use byhandicapped persons:: comprising: a: base: housing; a hollow top covertli'eiefbran'dl hingedly oonnected to said base housing,v a-v supportfiiced om said housing, a flint wheel rotatably rriounted on saidsupport, as awrelement. on said support and operative- 1y eenneetebiewitlr said flint" sheer and pea: tione'd' adiaoent the latter'forrotation there with; lever means l'laving'one end pivotall'y andeocentrica-lly oo'nne'cte'd to said pawn element and provided witli aslotted portion, a pivot pin on said cover engaging said slottedportion; said pivot' pin being first movable along said slotted portion"of saidlever means" to provide a lost motion between said cover and saidpawl element" and upon manually" exerting further pressure on saidcoverfin moving same away from said base housing: said pawl" elementrotates said flint wheel while said" pivot pin is engaged in saidslotted portionof T saiddev'er means thereby enabling increasedrotationof the=flintwheel for-sparkihg'pnrposes; and s'top-nie'ansforlimiting the movement: of" said cover away from said base housing. I t

References Gitd in the die of-' this patent UNITED STATES? PATENTSf

